Sense of Boundaries

Yuanshi's hand moved up from her wrist, along her forearm, to the bend of her elbow, then to her shoulder.

Every inch of muscle was tended to. Even the sore, swollen spots she had not known existed were precisely found by his Spiritual Qi, kneaded loose, and dissolved.

"Second Master, I missed you so much."

Yuanshi's hand did not stop, but his touch softened ever so slightly.

"Mm."

"Did you miss me?"

"I did."

Su Miao curved her lips and burrowed further into his embrace.

Yuanshi's chest was broad. Leaning against it felt like leaning against a wall, except the wall was warm, had a heartbeat, and gently patted her back.

Yuanshi's hand moved from her shoulder to her back, stroking downward along her spine, vertebra by vertebra, as though counting her bones.

Su Miao's feet were tiny; his palm could completely envelop one of them.

He pressed his thumb into the sole of her foot and rubbed in slow circles, gradually increasing the pressure before easing it again.

"You've gotten thinner."

Su Miao glared at him.

"Master, I just told you—I gained three pounds."

Yuanshi lowered his head to look at her, his gaze settling on her face as though carefully examining a treasure he had recovered after losing it.

"That's water weight."

Su Miao took a deep breath.

"Master, do you have some sort of misunderstanding about what 'fat' means? Three pounds of meat! That could make a whole pot of stew!"

Yuanshi neither confirmed nor denied it.

Su Miao lay against Yuanshi's chest, listening to his heartbeat echo from within, steady and powerful, like the bells of a distant temple.

Her hand rested atop the back of his, but her fingers were so small that they could cover only two of his.

Yuanshi turned his hand over